Rubber, detergent — why Lagos residents say they no longer trust fufu sold in the city

• Some Lagos residents say concerns over fufu processing have pushed them to make it themselves or source it outside the city.

• Residents cited foreign objects and alleged use of detergent during cassava processing as reasons for their concerns.

• Proper cassava fermentation and processing are important because inadequately processed cassava can retain harmful cyanogenic compounds.

A growing number of Lagos residents are turning their backs on locally produced fufu, citing concerns about how the popular staple is being processed and preserved across the city.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, residents described experiences that have made it increasingly difficult to trust commercially produced fufu in Lagos, from foreign objects found inside ready-to-eat portions to producers using detergent to wash cassava before processing.

One resident told NAN she discovered a piece of rubber inside fufu she had purchased, a find she described as a turning point that led her family to start making the staple themselves rather than buying from commercial producers.

Another said he now sources his fufu from outside Lagos entirely, despite being a regular consumer for years.

"I would rather source it from outside Lagos because I no longer trust how it is prepared here," he told NAN.

Fufu, also known as akpu or santana, is made from fermented cassava that is soaked for days, blended, strained and cooked into a smooth dough. The fermentation process is critical both for texture and for removing naturally occurring toxins in cassava.

Residents told NAN that some producers in Lagos are cutting corners at multiple stages of this process, with some batches sitting unsold for extended periods due to poor preparation and others showing signs of contaminated or rushed processing.

Improperly processed cassava that has not been adequately fermented can retain cyanogenic compounds that are harmful when consumed, making preparation method a genuine health issue rather than just a matter of taste.

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A fufu processor at Santana International in Oyingbo told NAN that cassava at her facility is peeled, thoroughly washed with clean water and soaked for approximately two days before processing, suggesting that proper standards do exist among some producers.

Residents acknowledge this, with several noting that trustworthy producers are still out there but harder to find.

"We still have good processors, but they are few. Everyone should be sure of what they consume," one Agege resident told NAN.

The Lagos State Government had not issued any response or advisory on fufu processing standards at the time of writing.